Call Quality

We had no issues with call quality on either phone. Both the S8 and the Pixel do a great job in terms of call quality with clean and crisp sound that is sufficiently loud. If you want the best quality, we advise you to have the volume a couple of stops below the maximum level on both, as you do get some distortion at peak levels.

Both phones also support voice over LTE (or VoLTE). Carriers that support this feature will be able to deliver much cleaner and more pleasing audio via the earpiece.

Battery life

Both have rock solid battery life, with a slight advantage for the Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S8 features a 3,000 mAh battery and with the new 10nm system chip under the hood, we had high hopes when it comes to battery life. The Pixel, on the other hand, features a 2,770 battery, but also has a smaller display to deal with.

So which one does better in terms of battery life? We’ve had the Pixel on hand for a few months, and it’s a solid performer, getting through a full day easily. The Galaxy S8 also delivers very solid battery results. We tested both the US-bound Snapdragon version of the S8 and the Exynos model, and while there was a slight difference, both S8 models performed better than most other devices in their class.

For our test, we set the screen at 200 nits to level the playing field for all phones. That’s a brightness level comfortable for indoor use and one that comes often in use.

The Galaxy S8 running on the Snapdragon 835 chip scores 7 hours and a half, while the international Exynos model got a better score of 8 hours and 23 minutes. The Pixel scored 7 hours and 45 minutes, right in between the S8’s scores.

And in our testing, we had no issue getting through a full day with the new S8, just as we had no issue going through the day with the Pixel. We can call it a draw here.

Another aspect of the battery experience is how long it takes to recharge a battery from 0 to 100%. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ take an hour and 40 minutes to do this, while the Pixel is a bit slower at 2 hours. With the S8, you also have the benefit and convenience of wireless charging.

Battery Benchmarks

Conclusion

It’s time to wrap things up: we’ve looked carefully at all the various aspect of the Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel, and it’s now time to consider price.

The S8 is clearly the newer and pricier phone: it carries a full retail price of $720, or $30 over a 24-month period on Verizon Wireless. The Pixel’s full retail price stands at $650, or $27 a month over 24 months on Verizon (Verizon is still the only carrier that offers the Pixel in the United States). In Europe, the S8 price is set at €800, while the Pixel retails for €760, which is also pretty close. These are clearly two of the most expensive phones you can buy.

So what do we have when we draw the line? The Galaxy S8 has the more eye-catchy design with the full-screen display that really impresses, and it’s an all-around great phone. We like the stylish look, the waterproofing, the powerful processor and excellent camera, as well as the plentiful 64 gigs of storage, even the smaller things like the DeX dock and the higher quality earbuds included in the box. Bixby is a thing of the future that we could not fully test just yet, so we don’t consider it in this comparison.

The Google Pixel does not have that futuristic, full-screen style, but it remains an excellent choice: it runs smoother than the Galaxy S8 and this is noticeable, it also has the slightly better camera with more dynamic pictures and better-looking video. It’s also got that pure Android look that many want, as well as the day 1 software updates. That’s something special in the Android world.

At the end of the day, we’re split. We like the looks of the Galaxy S8, but for best performance and camera we turn to the Pixel. Choose your priority between these two, and you will know which of these two phones is the better fit for your needs.

18 Comments

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Dont get me wrong, I loved my Pixel XL for its battery life and speed, but Google could of done a much better job making an "iPhone Competitor" it just looks to much like an iPhone, especially with the bezels. Just got my S8+ and I'm happy with my decision to switch.

" the Pixel is still the camera to beat,"
That sums up the camera comparison between pixel and s8.
Though s8 is great but it could not outperform pixel as many would have thought.
Goigle really deserves credit for that.

Nexus devices were always smoother than other android mobiles including samsung. So it is not a surprise that pixel is smoother than s8.
Even future pixel would be more smoother than other galaxy devices.

Pixel has best camera still, runs stock android, only an idiot will pick S8 over a Pixel. Though I do believe Pixel has hardware issues, but even with that the phone should be leaps and bounds ahead of S8, I simply don't know how people could prefer looks over functionality! Whatever.

"only an idiot will pick S8 over a Pixel"
Well not everyone​ like stock and there is not enough deference in the cameras to matter.
OMG those bezels on the Pixel are awful, but I am not going to call you a idiot for liking the Pixel.
Would I buy it , hell no, to me it's ugly as s**t, but we all like what we like so put the phone down all you want but, why call others idiots for what they like.

The pixel got no chance to be better than the s8 in low light or worst situations....in strong light situation or so, the pixel and s8 can be tough and tie...there's nothing that makes the pixel better or should I say like they said "THE BEST"...
The s8 is more pleasing tough..

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